New Addition
by Eternal Flight
Summary: Beatrix is forced to leave her exorcist home to help aid the headquarters. Will the things that happened to her back there revisit her?
1. Welcoming

Chapter 1: Welcoming

Leaving Germany as harder than Beatrix expected. Not only was she leaving behind her home country, but her friends at the German Branch as well. It was all so unexpected, so surreal to her. It was a 15 hour train trip to France, where she met up with her guide for the rest of the trip to Britain.

"You must be Beatrix, I presume." The Finder said, gesturing to her Black Order outfit.

Beatrix nodded and blinked her blue eyes, trying not to fall asleep again. She was always an easy sleeper, so the train ride was a really long nap for her.

The Finder smiled. "I'm Adrien. Ready for another journey? I promise this one won't be as tiring."

She nodded again, being the silent type, and Adrien took her bags for her. They boarded a large boat, and went to the lower deck to find Beatrix's room. She turned to Adrien, who had stopped outside the room. "Won't you be staying in a room as well?"

He shook his head. "No. It's my job as a Finder to guard your room and make sure to alert you if there was ever an Akuma attack."

She smiled. "That makes perfect sense. If you ever need some company, feel free to knock on my door. I'd gladly join you."

Adrien smiled and sat down on the floor near her door. "Thank you for the offer. I may have to take you up on it. Enjoy the trip."

Beatrix nodded and closed the door to her room. She sat down on the bed, and still being tired from the last trip, fell asleep.

"Miss Beatrix? The ship has arrived in Britain." Adrien's voice flooded into the room.

Beatrix opened her eyes and sat up. _Drat! Did I sleep this whole trip as well? I really must try to stay awake!_

She grabbed her bags and opened the door. Adrien gave her a friendly smile and took her things for her. They walked together out of the ship, and onto the dark port.

"What time is it?" She asked, looking around.

Adrien looked at his pocket watch. "It's four in the morning here. If all works out well, you should get to the headquarters by six or seven, depending on your transportation."

Beatrix nodded and extended her hand. Adrien shook her hand and smiled. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Adrien. Maybe, we will meet again."

He nodded. "It was nice being your escort. Have a safe rest of the trip."

She took her bags and put them o her back. She walked into a dark alley and sighed. _Innocence.. Activate._

Her body was soon enveloped in a warm sensation, and she formed a hand sign, creating a broom stick. She jumped on it and soared into the sky. There was a light breeze, making it quite pleasant.

After flying for what seemed like ever, she made it to London. She flew past the busy city, and to the more forested areas behind it. She saw the large rocks and the Black Order headquarter, just as the sun was coming up. _Beautiful.. What a wonderful way to see where I'll be staying for quite a while._

She got up to the top and jumped off the broom stick. She put her hand on it, and murmuring something under her breath, it disappeared. She adjusted her bags and headed up to the gate, where she saw a man waiting.

The man had black hair, with an odd white swoop in the front. He reminded her of a vampire, and the thought made her shiver. She approached him hesitantly, and that's when she saw his large smile.

"You must be Beatrix." He said, still grinning.

She nodded. "Yes."

He extended his hand. "I'm Arystar Krory. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She shook his hand. "Thank you, Krory. The pleasure is all mine."

He nodded and took her things for her. "Well, we should be off to Komui. He needs to see you immediately."

She nodded again, and he led off her into the headquarters. He asked her about her trip, and she answered all of his questions. He seemed like a nice person, despite the fact that he looked like a vampire.

_Anyway, they always said to never judge a book by its cover. I really need to be ice to him, because who knows if anyone else will be this kind to me here. _

Krory led the silent Beatrix to Komui's office. The door was closed, so he decided to knock on the door. Just before his hand reached the door, the door swung open and Kanda stepped out.

"Oh! Hello, Kanda!" Krory greeted cheerfully.

Kanda nodded at Krory and gave a quick glance at Beatrix. She managed to give him a quiet hello, and he just walked off.

_Sheesh. He seems so cocky. Maybe he's not a morning person, and he'll be in a better mood later._

"Don't mind Kanda. He's always cocky, so don't think he's trying to be mean. It's best to ignore his rudeness." Krory said, giving Beatrix another smile.

She nodded, and they stepped into the room. Komui was sitting at his desk, actually awake for once. He saw Beatrix and smiled. "Beatrix! How wonderful! Your journey was all well, I hope?"

She gave a quick bow. "Yes, sir. General Viztar wanted me to tell you hello."

He nodded. "Ah, the old coot. How is he doing?"

She smiled. "He's fine. We had a few new recruits before my leave. Plus, Germany hasn't been under attack by the Akumas too much, so life was well for all of the exorcists."

Komui smiled. "Wonderful. The general informed me on your talents and such., so I'd love to meet up with you later to see what you can do. You've already been synchronized and such back in Germany, I hope?"

She nodded. "Yes sir. All preparations were done beforehand."

He got up from his chair and looked up at Krory. "I would usually send Lenalee to take Beatrix to her room, but she's very tired from her last mission. Do you mind taking her up to the bedrooms?"

Krory smiled. "Of course not. It would be a pleasure."

The two left his office and up to the third floor of the building. They were talking when they heard someone call "Hey! Chero-chan!"

They both turned around to see a red headed boy running their way. Krory smiled and waved. "Oh! Hello, Lavi!"

He saw Beatrix and smiled. "Hey! Who's the cutie? Looks like you finally replaced Eliadel!"

Krory's smile turned to a frown. "This is Beatrix. She is a new exorcist. Anyway, she and I are not involved like that and secondly, no one will ever replace Eliadel!"

Lavi walked over and patted Krory on the shoulder. "Come on bud, you know I was joking. Well, Beatrix, I hope that I'll be seeing you around!"

He ran off down the hallway, leaving the other two shaking their heads. "Please, don't mind him and his ways. He calls every girl he meets cute unless they are quite ugly in his eyes. Anyway, this is your room."

She smiled. "Thank you, KroryMaybe, I'll see you around?"

He smiled. "Of course. Don't worry about fitting in, because I'm sure everyone here will love you."

Beatrix gave a nod and Krory left her as soon as she entered the room. It was small, but not tiny. There was a window thatgave her a great view of the sky. She put her stuff down and plopped onto the bed, falling asleep like usual.

An: My first posted FF! Hope that you all like it! Please R&R!


	2. Mission

Chapter 2: Mission

There was a knock on the door, waking Beatrix. She opened her eyes and let out a yawn. "Come in."

A girl with her hair in two black ponytails came into the room, carrying a tray. She wore a pair of boots and an exorcist outfit. She was a bit younger than Beatrix, but she made Beatrix feel a bit jealous.

_Sheesh. Are all the girls at this headquarter so pretty? I'll never fit in!_

The girl smiled. "Hi there. I'm Lenalee, Komui's sister. You're Beatrix, right?"

Beatrix nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Lenalee."

"Well, if you're ready, Komui would like to see you again. I'll show you the way."

Beatrix got out of her bed and followed Lenalee out the door. She was asked some questions about her life in Germany and some basic questions about herself. Beatrix forgot about how pretty Lenalee was and actually talked to her. They got to Komui's office both smiling and laughing.

They stepped in to see Kanda, Lavi, Krory, and a strange gray haired boy Beatrix hadn't met yet. They all turned around and smiled at the two girls.

"Hello, Lenalee and Beatrix. Glad you could make it." Komui said, smiling at the girls.

Lenalee laughed. "You're so silly, brother. Here, I brought you some more coffee."

She handed him the tray and stepped into the group. Komui beckoned Beatrix over and she made her way over to him.

"Guys, and Lenalee, I want you meet Beatrix. She is an experienced exorcist from Germany who will be working with our headquarters now. Since she is around your age group, she will be working on missions with you. Everyone go around and introduce yourself to her."

Lavi smiled. "I'm Lavi. I've already met the cutie."

The rest of the group sighed. Krory smiled. "I'm Krory, even though we have met as well."

The gray haired boy smiled, and Beatrix saw that he had a scar on his left eye. "Hi Beatrix. I'm Allen."

Kanda shrugged. "We already met."

Komui sighed and shurgged. "Well, that's all of them. General Viztarsaid that you had a special abilities that went along with your innocence. Care to tell us all now, since it would beneficial for your teammates to know as soon as possible."

She nodded. "Well, I can summon things with my Innocence. Plus, I have the ability to heal injuries, to a certain extent."

Komui nodded. "Care demonstrating? Allen, you have a large cut on your right arm, don't you?"

Allen nodded. "Yes."

Komui smiled. "Well, try healing his wound, Beatrix."

She made her way over to Allen who showed her where the cut was. She closed her eyes. _Innocence... Activate._

She was soon surrounded by a warm green light and she put her hands on his wound. She murmured something quietly, and the wound immediately healed itself. She deactivated it, and saw the group looking on in astonishment.

"Wow.." The group murmured.

Allen lifted his arm and it was pain free. "That's amazing! She's kind of like Miranda, right?"

The others in the group nodded and gave Beatrix a welcoming smile. Komui patted her on the shoulder. "Well done. Welcome to our headquarters, Beatrix."

She smiled and looked around the group. "I want to help win this war as much as I can. Let's win together."

The group cheered and gave each high fives, including Beatrix. _I fit in! This is awesome!_

Komui coughed, silencing the happy group of exorcists. "Well, this may seem sudden, but you have a mission tomorrow. As most of you know, tomorrow is the Fall Festive in the city. I'm assigning all of you to go and be, let's say 'security guards.' Are you up to it, Beatrix?"

Lavi laughed. "Of course she is! Plus, we'll all be there to help her out!"

The rest of the group murmured their own approval. Beatrix couldn't help smiling; this was the first time she had ever gotten so much attention from a group of people. In Germany, people looked at her and passed her by.

Komui laughed. "I guess it's settled then. You all rest up today, and set out early tomorrow morning. Hope it goes well for you, Beatrix."

She nodded. "I'll do my best, sir."

The next morning, the group met outside of the headquarters. Most of them were silent, except for Lavi.

"Woo-hoo! A mission! I can't wait to see those Akuma show up and then -BAM!- be destroyed!" He laughed, slapping Kanda on the shoulder.

Kanda hit Lavi in the side with his sword, shutting the red head immediately. Beatrix let out a small giggle, seeing how funny the two guys looked.

"Well, if we're all here, we should start heading down." Allen said, starting down to the town.

The rest of them followed, and the girls chatted while the guys were being guys.

"Man! Sometimes I wish that Akuma didn't attack during festives! They're so pretty and the people are always friendlier that day." Lenalee lamented as they approached the town.

"Really? I've never been to a festive before. I'll take your word for it, though." Beatrix murmured, looking for the town with longing eyes.

Lenalee gasped. "You mean you've never been to a festive in Germany? I'm sure that you had! What did they make you do back at your old branch?"

She shrugged. "The usual stuff: fighting, healing, and watching things around the branch. There was usually no time for me to party or go to a festive, if there was one at all."

Lenalee sighed. "Sorry. I thought that you did the same things in Germany."

Beatrix smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It's not like you knew anyway. Well, there has to be a first for everything."

The girls smiled and Beatrix tapped Krory on the shoulder. He turned around and gave her a smile. "Is something the matter, Beatrix?"

She shook her head "I just wanted to ask you if you could tell me everyone's innocence powers, so I can base my attacks and such off of that."

He nodded. "Let see.. Allen's left arm turns into an anti-Akuma weapon, and his left eye can track the Akuma from a distance. Kanda uses his sword and his innocence ativates strong attacks. Lavi carries around a small hammer, that grows into a huge hammer with his activated innocence and to add to that, he uses elemental attacks. Lenalee's boots are her innocence weapon. As for me, I turn into a vampire with my activated innocence and I bite into the Akuma to destroy them."

She nodded. "Thank you, Krory."

He smiled. "No problem."

London soon came into view, and the sights were so beautiful. When Beatrix same the festive decorations, she gasped. _It's so..so beautiful! I wish I had been to one of these before in Germany! _Lavi tapped Beatrix on the shoulder. She turned to him, and he gave her a smile. "This must be your first time at a festive, huh? We're going to look around and enjoy ourselves until the Akuma attack, if they do at all. Ready for some fun?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Sure."

Lavi nodded and slapped Kanda on the back. "Hey, Yuu-chan! Ready to smile?"

Kanda gave him a fierce glare. "No."

Beatrix giggled, and Lavi smiled. "Don't mind Mr. Grumpy over there. If he ever gives you a hard time, not take it personally. He's like that to everyone."

They passed a stand, which sold beautiful autumn colored jewelry. Beatrix's eyes caught a beautiful orange glass beaded necklace. She stopped walking and gazed at it. The rest of the group stopped, and Kanda was about to say something, but Lavi stopped him.

"I'll stay with her, guys. This is her first time at a festive. You guys go on ahead and treat yourselves. We'll catch up later."

Krory shrugged. "Are you sure, Lavi?"

He laughed. "Of course I am, Krory! Go, go!"

The group walked off into the festive, and Lavi walked over to Beatrix. He pointed to the necklace she was gazing at. "You like that one, huh?"

She nodded. "It reminds me of the flowers I used to grow in Germany. They came in that color orange, blue, purple.." She sighed.

Lavi smiled. "You must miss Germany, huh?"

Beatrix shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I do."

He smiled. _Poor girl. I remember how hard it was for me to move from place to place with Gramps. I kinda get what she's going through. _He got the vendor's attention and pointed to the necklace. The vendor handed it to him and he paid the price asked.

Beatrix watched on with tears brimming her eyes. He handed her the necklace and she put it on. "Thanks, Lavi. I'll pay you back."

He smiled. "Nah. Think of it as a welcoming gift."

They walked off down the street, talking non-stop. Lavi was funny to Beatrix, so she was laughing a lot. He smiled and they were having a great time. They passed an alley, where they heard a small child's crying.

Beatrix stopped, making Lavi smiled. "You heard someone crying, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

They walked into the alley, where the saw a little boy crouched down on the ground. Lavi walked up to him. "Hey, you okay, little guy?"

The boy kept crying, and it started to sound like a laugh to Beatrix. _Innocence, activate. Third eye!_

She immediately felt the presence of an Akuma coming from the boy, so she gasped. "Lavi! Get away from him. It's an Akuma!"

Before Lavi could move, the boy exploded and an Akuma came in his place. Lavi was cut from the explosion, but nothing extensive. Beatrix rushed forward and did a hand symbol for lightning. She out held her palms and large amounts of lightning hit the Akuma, destroying it.

She rushed over to Lavi, who was sitting on the ground. "Lavi! Are you okay?" She said, sitting next to him.

He shrugged her worries off. "Yeah, nothing terrible. Well, we should get going. There's probably more where he came from."

As an answer to what he said, a large scream arose around the city. The two exorcists got up and saw the large amounts of Akuma floating around. Lavi got out his hammer and activated it. "Small hammer, big hammer. Grow, grow, grow!"

The hammer grew large, and he summoned his fire attack. Beatrix summoned more lightning, and struck down most of the Akuma in close range. Lavi's attack killed the rest of them. They ran down the street, to be greeted by Lenalee and Krory.

"We just defeated all the Akuma in the east part of the city. If only Allen was here to tell us where the other Akuma are!" Lenalee said.

Beatrix closed her eyes. _Third eye, outer levels. _She felt the presence of a large amount of Akuma coming from the south and west side of London. "They're coming in from the south and west. Can any of you fly?"

Lavi nodded. Beatrix sighed. "Lenalee and Krory, you run to the west side, since it's closer. Lavi and I will fly over to the south side. Hurry!"

The two rushed off and she summoned her broom. Lavi jumped onto his hammer, and they flew off to the south side. The Akuma had just about reached the city, like Beatrix had predicted. They jumped onto a house top and she did a hand symbol for her favorite move, the Frozen Tiger.

A large tiger made of ice appeared in front of the Akuma, and it roared, destroying the Akuma with its icy shards of breath. Lavi looked on in awe, as the twenty or so Akuma were destroyed. She fell to her knees, not used to using so much Innocence at once.

"Hey! You okay, Beatrix?!" Lavi asked, approaching her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Do you think the others will be alright?"

He nodded and looked up into the sky, and saw that there were no Akuma around. "Hey, Beatrix, can you check to make sure no more Akuma are coming?"

She nodded and closed her eyes. _Third eye, outer levels. _She sat still for a few moments, and felt no presence of Akuma around the city for hundreds of miles. "No more Akuma."

He sighed. "Man! I really wanted to kick some butt!"

She stood up and laughed. "Sorry. You should have told me to back off."

Lavi laughed. "Nah. It was cool to see what you could do! That was so awesome!"

Beatrix blushed and dusted off her outfit. "Thanks, Lavi. We should probably go to the west side to meet up with the ot-"

Just as she was speaking, she saw the rest of the group below them. Lenalee was smiling. "Beatrix! That was awesome!"

Lavi and Beatrix jumped down from the house top and she blushed. "Thanks. It's really nothing, so please don't worry about it."

The restof the group smiled at Beatrix, who was furiously blushing from all of the attention. Lavi, being himself, kept bragging about how awesome it was to have her with them. She gave Lavi all of the credit, but he pushed it off, because it wasn't true.

The townspeople around them also thanked them, but most of them were weary of their presence. They knew of the headquarters and what their purpose was, but the thought of powerful exorcists scared them, and the exorcists knew it.

Krory noticed the frightened people and nodded to the group, who knew it was time to go. They surrounded Beatrix and headed back to headquarters.

AN: Next Chapter! Yay! Please review and tell me how I'm doing! .


	3. Congrats

Chapter 3: Congrats

When they got back to headquarters, they reported themselves straight to Komui. He saw that they were all in a good mood, even Kanda.

"Well, well. The mission must have gone well, since you all are in a good mood." He said, putting down his mug of coffee.

Lavi smiled. "Of course it was! Man, you should have seen Beatrix! She was so amazing! Over 20 Akuma killed in one shot!"

Komui's eyes lit up. "Really? How wonderful! Well done, Beatrix. You're going to be a start exorcist, just wait."

The rest of the group murmured their agreement, and Beatrix was overwhelmed with attention. Her face was flushed, and she looked down, trying to take it in as calmly as possible. Lenalee laughed and patted her on the shoulder.

Komui laughed. "Well, good job all. You all are finished for today. You all are free to leave, "

They all left, Beatrix finally feeling part of the group.

AN: This is a really, really short chapter, but more to come! R&R please!


	4. Back Again

Chapter 4: Back Again

The next two weeks passed by with various missions for Beatrix. She was usually with Krory and Lavi, and she got to know them both better. Lavi was around her age, so she felt comfortable talking to him about whatever was on her mind. They were almost always laughing, and Beatrix enjoyed it.

Then, Lavi and Beatrix were called one day to Komui's office immediately. They walked into his office, and listened to what he had to tell them.

Komui pushed his glasses up. " There has ben word that a large amount of Akuma are headed to attack several branches of the Black Order. One included in the list is the German branch. I want to send you two for now, specifically fo two reasons. Firstly, Lavi, you are indeed going to be the future Bookman, so this may be a major historical event you may need to record and you are quite strong. Secondly, Beatrix knows the terrain and such, and she as well is strong, probably the strongest girl we have at this branch."

Beatrix nodded. "Understood. When are we suppose to leave?"

He sighed. "Tomorrow morning, if all goes well. You two get to know each other well, because this mission can last a week to who knows how long. Pack your bags tonight."

Lavi nodded. "Got it. Will we have a Finder with us?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. We're running all of our Finders as is, and I thought you two would be alright without one. The general promised me that there would be someone to meet you two at a certain point after you get into Germany."

He nodded. "Got it. Well, I'm going to go. Come on, Beatrix."

She said a quick goodbye to Komui and walked after Lavi. He scratched his head and gave her a smile. "Go and get some sleep. You'll need it, Trixi."

She laughed. "So now I'm Trixi?

He nodded. "Yep. I think it fits you better than Beatrix. It's too formal, if you don't mind me saying."

"Nah, whatever you want to call me is fine. I think Lavi fits you, so don't expect any nicknames."

He laughed and patted her on the head. "You're so funny, Trixi. See ya tomorrow then, right?"

She nodded. "See you tomorrow."

It was a tiresome two day journey to Germany. Beatrix slept through most of the trip, but she had warned Lavi the morning they left. While she slept, he slept also or found something to entertain himself.

Once in Germany, they sat outside and looked around. The air was cold and the night sky frighteningly black.

"Do you think this is because of the Akuma? Don't tell me that they already attacked!" Lavi murmured to Beatrix.

She laughed. "Don't worry, Lavi. It's probably just a storm passing through. We should get going before it starts raining."

He shrugged and pulled out his hammer. Beatrix summoned her broom and a pointed hat. She put the hat on, only to get a look from Lavi. "What? Never seen a witch before?" She teased, jumping onto her broom.

He laughed. "Not personally, Trixi. Anyways, we should get going."

With that, they flew off into the night sky. Komui had told them that someone would meet up with them at or around the edge of the Black Forest, where the German Branch was located. Remembering where headquarters was, Beatrix lead the way. It was hard to see, so she was frequently scanning the area. The forest was luckily only a short fly away, from Beatrix's memories, but that was when the tables turned on them.

The droplets of rain fell lightly at first onto Beatrix's hat, so she kept flying. All of a sudden, the rain fell at a faster, stronger pace.

"Lavi! We have to go down!" Beatrix yelled through the heavy downpour, trying to balance her broom.

"Okay! I'll follow you!" He yelled back.

She flew her broom down at a carefully slow pace, making sure she wouldn't fall off and that Lavi was still behind her. She got close to the ground, and a sudden gust of wind came her way, knocking her off her broom. She was hurtled to the muddy ground.

"Beatrix!" Lavi called, rushing over to her.

He helped her off and scanned the area. Soon, he saw a shack not far off from where they were. "Come on, Trixi. I see an empty shack. Let's stay there until the rain stops."

She nodded and they made their difficult journey to the shack

AN: Thanks for all of you who are reading! Please R&R to tell me what you think! (On a side note, does anyone know about Lavi's past or where I could find out? That would help a bunch! .)


	5. Her Past

Chapter 5: Her Past

The shack was very small and barren; it was probably some place that a weary traveler might stop and rest in. Still, it was better than being outside in the middle of that chaotic storm. Beatrix situated herself near the middle of the room, watching the rain smear down the tiny windows located at the front of the shack. She looked over at Lavi occasionally, to see him pacing or just staring off into nothingness. The rain had impeded their arrival at the German branch, but it wasn't something either of them could fix.

"Lavi," Beatrix said, breaking the silence. "By the strength of the storm, and my experience with weather here in Germany, I'm pretty sure that this rain won't stop till after it goes dark."

"Then we'll travel by night." Lavi said, staring at her, a serious look plastered on his face. "You know the way, of course."

"Yes," Beatrix said, as she wrapped her arms around her legs. "But I won't travel at night. Dark spirits lost from death travel these woods at night, and it would be foolish to cross their paths."

"You're not serious, are you?" Lavi said, looking at her face questionably.

"Yes, I am." Beatrix said, putting her head in her lap. The memories of her past were slowly coming to the surface of her mind, and she didn't want to dwell on them.

They didn't look at each other, until a clap of thunder resounded loudly, shaking the shack. Beatrix looked up, trying to figure out how far away the strongest part of the storm was from their location. By the next clap of thunder, the storm was a few miles away from them, and would calm down considerably by the time the fiercest part passed over them. She drifted her gaze over to Lavi, who was staring at her, calculating her expression with his gaze. Finally he just drifted his gaze away from hers, as he stretched his legs out and let out a sigh.

"So," He said, starting up another conversation. "This is the forest that you call home, huh?"

"Called home," Beatrix said bitterly. "My 'home' now is at the Order. You should know that perfectly well."

"Sure, if you say so." Lavi said, sounding unconvinced. "Anyway, indulge me with stories from your childhood. I've never heard anything about your past, except for the fact that you were born and raised here in Germany."

She just stared at him, the tears welling up in her eyes, making her turn away. "Well, maybe that's a good thing. I don't know anything about your past, so I think that its only fair that I keep mine to myself."

"Fine," He said, quietly. "Sorry for asking too much of you. Still, we have time to pass, so why don't you tell me a little story about this forest?"

"That," She said, staring out the window. "Is something that I can do. So... this story is about, a group of travelers. They were born throughout this forest, and that was the main bond between all of them. The travelers were born as poor as the forest, and they had to find a way to survive. So they began to perform the music that the forest spirits had taught them as they dwelt among the protective trees and listened to the breezes that swept through those same trees, cooling them on those almost unbearable summer days. Soon, music led to dancing, and other things, and the travelers soon became a band of performers. The women soon saw this as a token of good luck and prosperity for the group, and made everyone matching apparel; dresses for the females and tunics for the men. They were bland colors, except for the emblem that was sown onto the lower left hand corner. The emblem was a small black bear standing on top of a multi-colored star. It stood for the strength that all of the performers had, as well as the uniqueness each one of them possessed."

Beatrix paused for a moment, letting a smile find its way onto her face. She remembered that dress so well, like it had just been yesterday that she had been wearing it. "Still, though the group was together, many things tried to pull them apart. Sometimes, when they wandered too close to a certain village on the outskirts of the forest, they were mocked and beaten, taken as the low life peasants they really were. Still, they took the blows and mockery and continued on their way, because they knew that there was a place that they were welcomed. Still, the thing that none of them could control or stop that dismantled the group was illness. Being poor, they had no means to protect themselves against the deadly diseases that they would come in contact with. So, many lay dying from things that none of them knew how to cure, and the whole group watched in horror as they slowly slipped away."

A few tears trickled against her face, as she tried to pull herself together. Still, the name she tried to keep away from her thoughts was echoing through her mind, filling her with grief and sadness. She just laid her head back in her lap, and just tried to clear her mind by concentrating on the sound of the falling rain. Soon, she pushed it all back, and looked back up at Lavi with an apologetic smile on her face.

"Sorry." She said, shaking her head. "Now where was I in the story?"

"What story?" Lavi said, getting up. "That was a nice little memory of your past. So what were you in this traveling band? A singer?"

"I wish!" Beatrix said, laughing. "My singing would kill people, not entice them."

"I don't think so." Lavi said, moving over to where she was seated. "So, maybe a dancer?"

"Good job." She said, her smile slowly fading.

"Ah, Trixi the dancer." He said, amusing himself with this thought. "I'm sure you were the best out of all of them huh?"

"No, I wasn't." She said shaking her head. "The best was..... my sister."

"Your sister?" He said scratching his head.

"Yes." Beatrix replied, closing her eyes, trying to remember her sister. "Her name was Adelaide, but everyone called Addie. She was beautiful in every aspect; her physical appearance to the way she danced and sang. Everyone in our traveling group thought she was a miracle bestowed upon us."

"Well," Lavi said, sitting beside her. "If she was related to you, there's no doubt that she was a wonderful person."

"Thanks." Beatrix said, smiling at the compliment. "I wish you could have met her."

"Don't tell me you've lost contact with her?" Lavi said, peering into her face.

Beatrix just looked at him, and turned away as she started to cry again. Could he really be this ignorant? Why would she have left her sister and joined the Order?

"No," She lamented, shaking her head slowly. "She's..dead."

Everything got silent all too quickly. She knew that this had made Lavi regret what he had said before, about her losing contact with her sister. It wasn't his fault, though; she knew that he was trying to make the most out of the situation that she had given him. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her, and the pain of her memories seem to flood out at that moment. She curled herself around his embrace, and just wallowed in all that she had lost. Tears fell, and there was a lot of sniffling, but his touch made her realize that those things were in her past, and she had better things to be worrying about now, like helping protect the German branch.

"There, there." Lavi said, trying to coax her. "I'm sorry for bringing up bitter memories."

"It's not your fault." Beatrix said, reassuring him. "Being here, it would have come up sooner or later."

"If you say so." He said, releasing her from his embrace. "Well, it's pretty late isn't it? I think we should be heading off to sleep soon, since we'll be up pretty early tomorrow morning."

"You're right." She said, agreeing with his suggestion. "I'm pretty tired anyway."

"You're always tired, Trixi." He replied, laughing. "Well, you can have the left side of the shack, and I'll stay on the other side. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course." She said, giving him a smile. "Thank you for being so considerate."

He just nodded and got up, and made his way to his side of the shack. He sat down, his back facing her. She slipped off her jacket and boots, and made her way over to the opposite side of the shack. The floor was cool under her feet, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She put her jacket back onto her shoulders, and tucked her feet beneath her.

"You can turn around now, Lavi." Beatrix said, closing her eyes. "I'm going to bed now. Good night."

"Night, Trixi." Lavi replied.

She moved to the wall, and laid her head against it. She could hear the dull pattern of the rain falling outside, and just concentrated on that. Soon, her thoughts grew calm, and she was able to fall into a some what pleasant sleep.

_A breeze was sweeping through the meadow, making the flowers around them move. It was a beautiful sight; spring flowers of every color moving in the afternoon sunlight. Beatrix let out a happy sigh, as she continued to braid the flowers she held in her hands. Addie was sitting behind her, brushing Beatrix's hair with the greatest of ease._

_"I'm glad they chose to make camp here." Beatrix, said, turning to smile at Addie. "It's so beautiful here around the lake during the spring."_

_"True." Addie said, smiling back. "Everyone needed a break anyway. We've been kicked out of far too many towns lately, and it seems like everyone's spirits have been down. This is the perfect way to just relax and enjoy_ _the nature around us."_

_"Kind of like Everett, huh?" Beatrix remarked, looking down at the lake where a young man sat, his fishing pole held comfortably in his hands. "I sure hope he catches a fish. It's been a long time since we've had any meat."_

_"Silly Beatrix!" Addie said, laughing. "Of course he's going to catch some fish. He's the best hunter in our group!"_

_"Yeah right." Beatrix said, rolling her eyes. "You're just saying that because you're engaged to him."_

_Addie made a face at her sister, and turned away with a small huff. Beatrix watched her sister, seeing if she was truly upset or just messing around with her. After a few seconds, Addie turned back around, a goofy smile in her face. Beatrix smiled back, and she knew that it had all been a joke. She turned back around, and resumed her work on the flower crown she was making for Addie and her friend, Lydie. _

_Soon, Addie began to cough, but Beatrix though nothing of it. It seemed that ever since Addie had that cold during the winter months, the cough persisted and still hadn't went away. She had tried herbal brews of every kind to get rid of it, but nothing had seemed to help. Suddenly, the coughing got deeper and and something fell behind Beatrix. She turned around, to see Addie laying down, her eyes closed and her face pale. Beatrix put her hands on her sister's shoulders, and shook her gently. Suddenly, Addie's hand fell to the ground, the blood dripping off of her palm onto the warm earth below. Screaming, Beatrix got up and ran down the hill, calling for help._

_The rain drops fell from the tree top above, mingling with the tears that fell rapidly down Beatrix's face. She had been sitting here for a day already, staring broken hearted down at her sister's grave. After the incident at the lake, Addie only stayed with her a few more months, promising her that nothing was wrong with her. How could she die on her! She had her whole life in front of her! Nothing would ever be the same without her sister by her side._

_"Beatrix." Everett said from behind her, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come, we need to stay out of the rain. You don't want to get sick do you?"_

_"I don't care anymore." Beatrix said, her voice barely a whisper._

_"Please, don't speak like this anymore." He replied, trying to coax her. "I"m as hurt and sad as you are over Addie's death. Life will never be the same without her, but I know that she would want us to keep on living for her sake. Don't you agree?"_

_Beatrix sat for a few moments, pondering on what he had said. She knew that he was right, but __wallowing in her grief was all she thought she could do. She turned back around and stared at Everett, and nodded slowly._

_"You're right." Beatrix said, coming to agree with what he said._

_"I'm glad you understand." Everret said, giving her a gentle smile. "Let's go back to our tent and rest a little bit. You've been out here for a long time."_

_She nodded, and with his help she got up, and he led the way back to the tent._

_"Stop!!" Beatrix screamed, as Everett pushed his way into her. "Everett, stop!"_

_"Never." Everett said, his voice harsh and low. "This is what I expected to get from your sister, and since she's dead, I'll get what I want from you."_

_"You're crazy!!" She screamed as he pushed in again. _

_He just laughed, and continued on at his pace. She continued to scream, feeling her flesh trip and tear each time that he force himself into her. This was never supposed to happen to her; she was only thirteen, and this was something she thought would never come to be. She had heard of men roughly handling women for their own sake, but she never expected this out of any man she knew, especially Everett. She tried to wiggle out of his touch, but he was pinning her down with his great strength. _

_All she knew to do was scream louder, which made Everett lift his hand up to smack her, silencing her for a moment. She started to cry her body going cold under his touch and from all of the pain. He just started to moan, trying to cover her cries. She cried louder, and began to scream again. Finally, he lifted his hand and tried to place it over her mouth, and Beatrix decided to make the most out of this opportunity. She bit into his hand violently, until she tasted his blood in her mouth. He let out a violent roar of sorts, and released his grip on her. She quickly slipped herself out from beneath him, and gathered up the ends of her tattered, mud covered dress._

_She picked up her speed as it started to rain, knowing that she had a lot of ground to cover. She wanted to get as far away from his as she could, so she would never be faced with that kind of situation. All she knew that if he did this once, he would do it again. How could he do this to her? Didn't he care for her like a sister? Were all men secretly like this? Would anyone care for her if they found her like this, bloody and abused?_

_She ran for a long time, her mind concentrating on these questions. She was in a deeper part of the forest that she never remembered being in, and knew that this was somewhere that Everett would never find her, nor anyone else out of her traveling group. They said that there was a dark magic being practiced in this area, and it was a place forbidden for anyone in the traveling group to come into, unless in very great peril. She turned onto a winding path, and fell to the muddy earth near a large oak tree._

_As she sat, her mind grew to answer the questions it had repeated on its way to this spot. Everett never cared, and was not the kind of man he displayed in public. All men were probably like this, and they would do it to her again. Men were not to be trusted. No one was meant to be trusted. If she sat here, and a man came along, what would she do? She was too weak to fend him off, and she couldn't stand the horror of being put through that shame again. _

_Coming to only one conclusion, she slowly slipped out the tiny dagger that she kept tucked from sight in her bodice. She unsheathed it, and stared at its polished metal. In that metal, she saw her reflection and was disgusted with it that she had to look away, as she began to sob uncontrollably. She lifted her wrist, and gave it a quick slice with the dagger, and felt the blood start to flow steadily from it, as well as the pain. She slit her other wrist quickly as well, and sat staring at the crimson color spilling out around her pale skin._

_She started to loose consciousness after a while, and fell over, her body unable to sit up. She watched the rain drizzle through the trees from the dark gray clouds above. Finally, her eyes began to close, as her breathing became shallow and uneven._

_"Addie," Beatrix thought, as the darkness flooded her mind. "I'm coming to be with you. We'll be together again, and nothing can separate us this time."_

Beatrix awoke with a start, her heart beating rapidly in her ears. She felt a throbbing in her wrists, and knew that her past had come back to haunt her, just like she expected it to. Pressing her wrists close to her chest, she rocked herself slowly, trying to calm her mind. Her mind ceased to be quieted, and sent her into a fit of anxiety and grief, her tears flowing abundantly down her cold face.

Looking across the shack, she saw the outline of Lavi's body in the darkness. Getting up slowly, she made her way to the other side of the shack silently and sat beside him. She sat staring at his peaceful, sleeping face, and wished so badly to be him, free of haunting memories that tortured her. She knew that he was always there for her when she needed him, and drew the conclusion that he could somehow help her now as well.

Reaching down, she gently grabbed hold of his sleeve, and tugged on it. He stirred after a moment, and opened his eyes in the darkness, probably wondering who or what had woken him up. Soon, his eyes met hers, and they grew large with the understanding that something was wrong with her. He got up slowly, sweeping the hair out of his face, so he could see her better.

"Beatrix? What's wrong?" He whispered, greatly concerned.

She just threw herself onto him, hiding her face in his chest, like a little child would do when they were frightened by something. She began to sob uncontrollably, her body shaking and trembling, after reliving the horror of what Everett had done to her seven years ago, as well as her attempt at suicide.

"It's not fair!" She thought, as she cried in despair. "Why do I still have to live? I never wanted to live with these memories!"

Soon, Lavi wrapped his arms around her, and just sat there, rubbing her back. He began to hum gently, like one would to a tired baby who couldn't fall asleep. It felt somewhat soothing, and after a while her mind grew calmer, and she was able to clear her mind from those horrid truths of her past. Her crying soon died down, though she continued to sniffle from time to time.

"There, there." Lavi whispered, continuing to coax her. "No more worries, Beatrix. I'm here now, and everything will be alright."

She just nodded, and sat there in his arms, listening to his heart beat. It was soothing knowing that after all that had happened to her, she could be embraced by a man and not scream and fling herself away from him. She started to close her eyes, and let out a small huff of air, continuing to concentrate on the pattern of his heart beats.

He soon let go of her, and pushed his hair out of his face, and sat there staring at her. She just wiped her face, and gave a small yawn. She looked back up at him, and saw that there was now a small smile on his face, and wondered what he was thinking about her at this moment in time.

"You're sleepy huh, Trixi?" He said, placing his hand on her head.

She nodded slowly, and watched him remove his hand and start to get up. As soon as his back was turned from her, Beatrix felt her fears slowly rising back, and couldn't know why. She grabbed a hold of Lavi's pant leg, making him turn around. She looked up at him, and he just shook his head and smiled gently.

"Come on." He said, offering her his hand.

She took his hand, and he helped her up. He grabbed his Order jacket and led her to the other of the shack, where he sat down. She sat down beside him, staring at him. He just looked over at her, as he closed his eyes.

"You said you were tired right?" He said, handing her his jacket. "Well, you can rest now. I'll be right here next to you, so you don't have to worry about anything."

She rested her head against his arm, which he moved after a moment, so that her head was resting against his chest. She placed his jacket around her, and closed her eyes. She was wrapped in his warmth, as well as his smell, and it was so comforting to her that she could scarcely believe it. She soon heard him let out a light snore, and knew that he had quickly fallen asleep. She slowed her breathing, and fell into a dreamless sleep as a loud clap of thunder resounded in the distance.


	6. Life and Death

**Chapter 6: Life and Death**

"Trixi," Lavi called, breaking her from her sleep. "It's time to get up now."

She cracked her eyes open and let out a groan. Why was she so tired? Like hitting a brick wall head on, the memories of last night flooded back into her mind, making her realize why her body felt so unrested. She looked up to see Lavi just staring at her, his eyes smiling like usual. Remembering how she had clung to him the night before made her blush and feel so embarrassed for her actions that she felt obliged to apologize to him.

"Lavi," She said, as she bent down into a kowtow. "I am so sorry for the way I behaved last night. It was rudimentary and I should have composed myself before consulting with you. Will you forgive me for my childish actions?"

She heard him sigh, and soon felt his hand on her head, patting it slowly. "There's no need to apologize, Trixi. Your actions were perfectly fine, and I found no offense in them. Will you please get up?"

She lifted her head up, to see him smiling down at her. Beatrix could only smile back, as he offered her his hand to get up. She took it, and in an instant she was lifted to her feet. She dusted off her dress, and felt the icy air against her bare arms, making her shiver.

"It's colder than I expected." Beatrix said, as she reached down to get her jacket.

"It's much colder outside." Lavi said, looking towards the door. "I'm sorry for sounding rude, but we really need to be on our way."

"I understand." Beatrix said, nodding. "Let's not waste anymore time."

She reached for her jacket and slipped it on, her skin slowly warming up inside the worn leather. This was short lived as a gust of chilly air swept past her the instant she stepped outside. She shivered, and hugged her jacket closer to her body as she walked briskly, trying to catch up with Lavi, who was scanning the misty forest around them as he walked. He didn't turn to her as she approached, and she knew now was not the time to carry on a casual conversation with him, as much as she hated the silence. She walked beside him, feeling the familiar breath of air hit against her face, and soon began to watch her memories flickered quickly through her mind, like a wavering flame. She didn't let them bother her, and to keep her mind from lingering on them, kept herself busy with trying to name everything around her in German.

Lavi suddenly stopped, though Beatrix was a little late to notice. She rammed into him, muttered quietly her excuses, and looked up at him. He was staring back at her, and she quickly shut up, thinking that he was upset that she had hit him, distracting him from whatever he was doing.

"You're cold, aren't you?" He said spontaneously, scanning her face.

"Yes, why?" She asked, amazed that this was all he had to ask her.

He started pulling on the end of his scarf, unraveling it from around his neck, he held it out to her, looking away. She stared down at the dark orange scarf, and soon took it from his hands, wrapping it smuggly around her petite neck.

"Thank you." She said genuinely, realizing that this wasn't something Lavi did every day, especially when they were on a mission.

He just nodded in reply, and started to walk again. As Beatrix walked, her face slowly warmed up, all thanks to his scarf. The wind pushed past her from time to time, but it was barred by the scarf's thick material. She snuggled her face deeper into it, and breathed deeply, inhaling Lavi's familiar scent. It was as comforting to her as not many things were, and she felt safe being with him, no matter what mission they were going on.

They were deeper into the forest now, the whole landscape seeming somewhat familiar to her, but it all seemed so much more daunting then she remembered. Strangely, though she was excited at the beginning about coming back to her homeland, now she felt all alone, as if the forest was shunning her because she had left its protection. She casted her gaze downward and tried humming softly to herself, knowing that it usually soothed her anxiety. To her dismay, with each passing step her worries grew, as her heart started to beat wildly in her chest. Suddenly, a quick, small shaking was felt beneath their feet, making them both stop dead in their tracks. Lavi scanned the area, as well as the ground, as he moved over to a large tree beside them, putting his hand on its trunk, though Beatrix wasn't wuite sure why he was doing this.

"Did you hear anything?" Lavi said, not looking towards her.

"No, it didn't." Beatrix said. "It could have just been a slight vibration from something farther into the forest."

"You're not a hundred percent sure, are you?" He asked, now scanning the sky line.

"No." She said, now getting quite irritated with him. It had only been a slight vibration. What was he so worried about? "But I'm sure it's nothing life threatening to either of us. I think we should continue walking, and get to headquarters like we're suppose to."

With that, she began to walk, leaving Lavi with no room to argue back. He followed, slightly irritated himself, but kept his indifferences tucked away inside of him, not wanting to create a petty argument with this somewhat hot-headed girl. Beatrix would have smiled, knowing she had had the last word, but decided against it, knowing that would be childish behavior. She just kept going, playing the little game she had been when they had first started walking.

It seemed like an eternity that they had been walking, but still it seemed that there would be no clearing coming their way any soon. Beatrix, like a typical girl, began fretting if anyone would remember her, or if anyone even cared to remember her. The only person she wanted to meet was the director, General Yeegar, the kind old-fashion mannered man who was one of the only people who paid her any mind when she was first starting in the Order. Everyone in the Order respected and followed his directions, and the German branch was a happy place because of it.

Suddenly, there was a large explosion, and the ground beneath their feet trembled with great might, as if a earthquake was tearing through the forest. Beatrix stood her ground, watching the smoke rise from the direction that the German branch at a fast rate. Soon, there was a flash of fire, and another great explosion was heard, shaking the earth yet again. Beatrix almost lost her balance this time, but caught herself, leaning her weight against a tree near to her.

"Are you alright?" Lavi said, after all was quiet again.

"Yeah." Beatrix said, realizing that something serious was going on. The German branch was in trouble, and they needed to hurry and help, if there was anything left to help. How could they get there, though? There was at least another hour of walking, and it was far to dangerous to cut through the forest.

"Boo." An eerie voice called from above Beatrix, chilling the inner depths of her body.

Beatrix took a few quick steps away from the tree, and glanced towards the tree's branches, trying to clam her nerves. Her eyes soon settled on another pair of eyes, though these were large like an owls and the color of melted gold, peering in between the tree's higher branches, menacing and ominous. Soon, a laugh broke through the air, sounding like a small girl's voice, but nothing like it. This laugh wasn't pure or happy, it was taunting and as eerie as the voice they had heard a few moments ago.

"Who are you?" Lavi said, being the first of the two to speak.

"Oh, no need to worry, Junior." The voice called, smugly. "I'm just doing my job, as you two do yours. So you two are exorcists, hm? That means I get to have more fun."

"What do you mean?" Beatrix said, feeling the fears in her rise. "What did you do to the German Branch?!"

"Oh, calm down, little forest sprite." The voice said, laughing yet again. "I just did what I was told, and had some fun with the other German exorcists. Sadly, they didn't want to play nicely, so I just killed them all."

It was all too silent for a moment, as the meaning of what she was saying sunk in. The German branch was gone, along with everyone inside of it. This person, or thing, was what had killed them all. That was far more than Beatrix could stand to hear.

"You monster!" Beatrix screamed, the tears flowing down her face. "How could you!"

A frightening chill filled the air around Beatrix, making goosebumps flare across her skin, and quickening her heartbeat. "Now, now." The voice said, a hint of anger hidden behind it. "You're from the German Branch, right? Let's play a little game then."

The world around Beatrix suddenly faded to a shade of dark gray, her shadow in front of her, white and unrealistic. She wasn't quite sure where she was, or if she was still even in the world of the living anymore. She could feel that someone was watching her, and quickly turned around. No one was there, just an empty expanse of forest.

"Lavi?" Beatrix called, her voice echoing in the expanse.

Suddenly, something appeared at the end of the expanse, running towards her. The figure, like anything at a distance, was blurry at first then became more and more familiar to Beatrix as it approached her at a fast rate. The figure soon took the shape or a young woman with hair so straight and long Beatrix had no room to question who it was.

"Lydie!" Beatrix cried, remembering the close friend of she and her sister.

"Beati!" Lydie called back, using the nickname everyone in the traveling group used for her.

As Lydie approached, Beatrix felt the tears brimming in her eyes. Lydie was one of the few people from the traveling band that Beatrix longed to see. Lydie had never done any wrong onto Beatrix, and treated her with as much care and kindness as Addie did.

"Beati." Lydie said, as she finally stopped in front of her.

"Lydie..." Beatrix said, smiling through her tears. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I know." She said, starting to frown. "Please, don't cry anymore, Beati. I'm here now, and I'll take you to Addie. You poor thing! Let's go clean your sister's blood off of you."

"What?" Beatrix said, looking down at her hands confused. There, dripping slowly down her arms was a thick stream of blood, making Beatrix feel sick to her stomach. She looked up, but Lydie was no longer there. Instead there was a large pine tree, with a small muddy cross at its roots. She fell to her knees, trying to figure out how all of this was happening. Why was she reliving her memories?

"Beati." Everett said placing his hand on her shoulder. "Please don't cry anymore. We have to move on soon, or else we'll be separated from our traveling band too much."

"Don't touch me!!" Beatrix screamed, moving away from his touch. If this was a dream, how could he be touching her? Was she back in the past? What was happening to her? "Get out of my head! Get out of my memories!!"

She heard the faint tinkling of laughter, and felt the scenery around her change yet again. This time she was in a cave, all too familiar to her like everything else she had encountered. There was a small fire burning in the middle, her cloak and Everett's jacket hung beside it, dripping with the enormous amount of rainwater trapped in their fibers.

Everett was sitting on the other side of the cave, watching her with a expressionless face. Beatrix immediately remembered this face, and what would soon follow it. She felt the tears slide slowly down her face, and she began to tremble, knowing that whoever was controlling her memories now wouldn't stop. Just like that, Everett got up, and was making his way across the cave to her. She put her hands around her head, and was the most frightful she had ever been in her life.

"Lavi..." She whimpered, wishing with all of her might. "Save me. Lavi!!!"

Everett was upon her now, and she felt something hot and sharp dig into her skin all across her back.

"Die, forest sprite." The omnious voice cried, and the world of her memories slipped away from her.

The Black Forest was once again around her, but for some reason Beatrix couldn't breathe. How could this be happening if she was back in the world of the living? Like an impact of a million of daggers being forced into her body at once, Beatrix fell face first into the ground, her body no longer under her control. The scenery around he was quickly diminishing, until she blacked out into a cold, empty place she had been in only once before.

**AN:** Such an eerie chapter, but I hope you liked it. Please review!! ~E.F.


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